The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08
THE SCIMETER.
The Mighty and Marvellous
Weapon Of India.
The Natives Consummate Skill
With the Keen Blade.

The high-class damascened and exqui
sitely tempered blades, the curved seine
tiers of extra hard steel and the keer
weapons of highly finished durability
came to India with those mighty con-
querors of the East, the Mahometans,
whose descendants under the victoriolr
and peace-promoting British rule can nc
longerfollow the craft, d~isarming being
the prevailing regime. The compare
lively few sword blades of sterling quail
ity nowadays are only to be found in the
palaces of loyal princes, most of them
heirlooms in their armories.
Before the great mutiny every native,
even penial servants, carried a sword
the peasant at his plough wore the wea-
pom of defence, so did the harmless
wanderer % search of employ and the
black soldier on short leave. 1t was a
national appendage, due to the unsettled
state of popular feelings and lawless in
clinations. The excited Moslem printed
and shouted the great text of the false
prophet, "The sword is the key of
Heaven and He'll, while the quiet Hin
doc f%requented midnight meetings and
brought his teghar or village sabre to a
razor edge.
The quiet dweller in England will
scarcely believe the prodigies performed
in s~word-cutting by these coarse, ILL
looking bits of curved metal, costing no
more than two shillings. The English
man can excel in everything if he chooses
to master the object. Not less than half
a dozen, perhaps even a dozen, have at
tanned such a workmanship with the
Oriental weapon as to be acknowledged
champions, the title of "master of the
sword" (sahib tut war; being bestowed
on them by universal consent.
l had shot numerous wild beasts when
l was told by an expert that my hunting
education was very deficient, as I could
not handle a scimeter to stop my game.
I was told to exercise continually on a
pillar of soft clay, and thus acquire the
drawing cut at the proper part of the
blade; then on a pillar loosely stuffed
with cotton; then on a newly killed
wildcat or jackal, kneaded previous to
the practice by the feet of a heavy man
ill the carcass became aloose, soft mass;
hen ON a great pond carp, a fish clad
with heavy, horny scales, like elastic
nail, considered an Al feat to test man
md sword.
Not long before I had seen a bold
7oung Ghoorka princeling dismount
rom his elephant, leaving it standing to
wait his return, and follow on foot.
lone, an immense boar he hadawounded
With his rifle. On nearing the powerful
'rute it champed its foamy tusks to
barge. He drew his koskree, or ne
sword, and as it sprang at him
he blade was buried across piogy's
ack, all but severing him in two parts.
Perhaps leaders will not credit NV
SateGent of village peasants with I
word and shield attacking and slashing ]
fuli-grown tiger, when one of these t
owerful animals has strayed from the
orest into their fields. Yet l have often
nown such encounters, a man or two |
ways killed and several wounded. the c
gers SKIN spoiled, too, by the long, c
eep cuts of their teghars. l saw a t
hampton swordsman, a native soldier. +
no went into the rose bushes alone with i
, other weapon-shield on shoulder. n
is cuts were mastery, but the bold
was soon struck down and severely p
auled. A crowd came to the rescue a
i'd SHOT the beast. The hero recov- c
ed.-[Engrsh Mechanic. n